Mountaineer Messages

May 15, 2020

Mountaineer Messages

May 15, 2020

Staying Connected

I hope your week has gone well, and that you are continuing to keep your spirits up. Here are the things I am going to touch on this week:

Grade level projects and attendance

Recap of the week

An article to help you out!

As you know, teachers are posting the project for the week on their Google Classroom. All students in the grade have the same project. Each week the classroom teacher is communicating what part is expected for it to count towards class participation. Work with your student on how to manage the projects. Some students work best working for a solid block of time, others work better breaking it into smaller chunks. Some families want to access all the amazing resources our teachers are putting out there, and others are balancing what is doable for them on a weekly or daily basis. Most of all, continue to support your student. If you are needing additional resources or support in accessing the digital learning, check out the Parent Tips on the Orting School District website at https://www.ortingschools.org/Page/632

This week we had our first all school dance party. It was awesome! More than a hundred Mountaineers logged on to rock out, and have one of our famous dance parties! We were celebrating the great participation and attendance from our students, and trying to find ways to connect and have fun! Our school attendance reached 92% this week. That means that 92% of our students were online and connecting this week! We know we can keep it up! If there is something going on, or you need support for your student, please reach out to their classroom teacher and they can best support you in meeting their needs.

I am working from home, as many of you are as well. It is a balance between all of the things. I had thought when this started that I would have it all figured out by now: how to keep three boys engaged, while I attended meetings, popped into Google Classrooms, and worked on emails. Well, I must say we have reworked our family “schedule” quite a few times since this started as the time was extended, schools officially closed, and grading and attendance became a reality for schools across the state. This is an article that I found helpful, so I thought I would share it with all of you as well. https://www.yalemedicine.org/stories/8-tips-work-at-home-with-kids-covid-19/

Thank you for participating in the district survey so we can continue to learn and grow in this online platform. Stay safe, and healthy!

Alicia Jensen

Principal

PTR Student Activity Sign Up

We are excited to host a variety of interactive opportunities for PTR students using Meet. We will post new sign-up each week. These events are for PTR students and are meant to be fun way to connect with other students and staff! You MUST sign up with the STUDENT'S EMAIL for this activity so they receive the code for the Meet. Visit the following link to see what is available for the week of May 18-22,

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: NEW! How will participation be recorded? Is learning material optional/supplemental?

A: It is important to us that we stay connected to our students and that they continue to access the learning opportunities we are offering. Starting next week (May 4), we will begin taking attendance to track each student’s level of engagement. Attendance for the week will be reported each Friday. Teachers will track student engagement and you will see it reflected in the weekly report as:

Present: Your student is fully engaged and is participating through Google Classroom, email and/or classroom meets and turning in assigned work

Tardy: Your student is making contact through Google Classroom, email and/or classroom meets but not turning in assigned work or the work does not meet the minimum standard set by the teacher

Absent: Your student has had no contact with their teacher(s)

If your child is marked absent we are asking for your help in encouraging their engagement with their teacher.

Q: I am having a technology related issue on a district owned device, how can I

get help?

A: Please contact Danielle Kinney via email so she can submit a ticket

for you. Please be sure to include a call back number and details about your issue. Every effort will be made to address your issue remotely. In the event this is not possible, a technician will meet you at the Central Office to repair or replace the device.

Do you have a question that has not already been addressed? If so, please email your questions to Danielle Kinney, kinneyd@orting.wednet.edu.

FREE MEALS FOR STUDENTS:

Our nutrition services staff is operating our free meals for kids program. This service operates M-F to provide one lunch and one breakfast to any child who needs it. Meals can be picked up at one of the delivery points in our district or at Orting Middle School between 10:30 AM and 12:00 PM. For Pick Up and Delivery Routes visit the following link:

Contact Us

To align with Governor Inslee's "stay at home" proclamation and to keep folks safe, we are now working remotely. We are committed to monitoring voice mail and email daily, and will do our best to reply within 24 hours during the Monday through Friday work week.